


The Silver Haired Merman

by FanWriter83



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Inspired on orenchi no furo jijou, M/M, Merman Victor Nikiforov, Mythical water dragon, Sadness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-17
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-03-20 05:11:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13710552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanWriter83/pseuds/FanWriter83
Summary: On his first night being back in his hometown, Yuuri Katsuki finds a collapsed man lying on the beach. The person in need of help is actually a beautiful merman with long silver hair and eyes as beautiful blue as the waters he came from. With a boisterous merman as his new roommate, Yuuri’s normal life won’t be returning anytime soon. The young figure skater has no other option than to try keep his cool, especially if he wants to keep up with his newfound friend’s antics.





	1. First Meeting

Yuuri sighed heavily. Being home after five years of living in Detroit was harder than he expected it would be. It was pretty understandable his parents had missed him and wanted nothing else than hug him, but being last in the most recent competition made it all so hard. To him it felt like he didn’t deserve their hugs and comforting words. He failed in making them feel proud of their only son. And on top of that the family dog also died, and he hadn’t been there to say a proper goodbye.

While sauntering slowly down the beach, Yuuri’s eyes looked out over the ocean, the moonlight reflecting off on the waves that smashed onto the rocks. Yuuri couldn’t help but admit to himself he had missed the beach.

When Yuuri was younger and felt miserable or anxious, he always sat down on the rocks and cried. No one saw him, which was a big relief to him. His parents would probably be even more disappointed if they knew about his anxiety.

Yuuri enjoyed the soft evening breeze until he saw a figure lying in the sand. The lower half of the person’s body was hidden behind a giant wall of rocks and all Yuuri could see was a head poking out from behind.

While his heart dropped in fear, Yuuri took a past sprint to reach the person and as he was closing in, he saw it was definitely a person. While trying not to panic, Yuuri ran faster. Maybe the person was still alive.

Soon as he reached the body, Yuuri dropped himself next to it and saw a bunch of hair hiding most parts of the person’s face. The head was turned to the side on top of a small rock while the arms were draped over it.  

Expecting the person was a woman, Yuuri nudged the shoulder softly and said; “Ma’am, are you alright?” The person didn’t stir. She was probably unconscious- maybe had hit her  head while ‘she’ was swimming.

Yuuri eyed the unconscious body. It was a little hard to tell whether ‘she’ was injured or not, but to make sure he had to pull ‘her’ further out of the water. Yuuri placed his hands carefully underneath the woman’s arms then hoisted her up out of the water. He made sure her body wouldn’t scrape against the rocks then suddenly, a short mumble emitted her lips. Yuuri made sure he lied her back down carefully before kneeling back down beside her.

“H-hey! Are you awake?” Yuuri asked, moving hesitantly some hair out of her face. That’s when he saw the face had masculine features rather than feminine. The eyelids fluttered for a second then opened and revealed two ocean blue eyes. They stared back at Yuuri in surprise then melted quickly into horror.

“NO!” the man gasped and tried to move away. But as he moved his face turned into a painful expression and his hand grabbed at his side.

“You’re injured. Please let me help you,” Yuuri said trying to move closer as he spoke. “If you want me to, I can call an ambulance. They will patch you up in no time.” Yuuri took a step forward but the injured man scooted back on one hand while holding the other onto his side.

“I’m fine!” he said sending a cold stare at Yuuri.

Yuuri’s shoulders sunk as he looked at the man who seemed like he would rather be anywhere other than in front of him. But why? All he wanted was helping him.

“AAG,” the man grunted in pain as he inched closer to the ocean. Then his body went limp and his breathing started to sound heavier. “If you’re going to kill me, do it now.” The man leaned against the rocks, his head facing the ocean. “I’m too weak to swim anyway. The sharks will smell my weakness and eat me.”

Yuuri took a few steps towards the man, who closed his eyes and braced himself for the worst. But then he felt hands touch his skin and something wrapping around his waist. When he looked down he saw a bunch of kelp around his body where the wound was. The man looked at Yuuri in slight shock then asked quietly; “Why are you doing that?”

“I already told you, didn’t I? I’m here to help you,” Yuuri replied sending a warm smile. “Now, just save your strength while I’ll call for a doctor, okay?”

“No, not okay!” the man snapped angrily. “They will slice me into pieces and do experiments on me!”

Yuuri grabbed the man’s shoulders to stop him from going back into the water and said with a worried look; “First you expected me to kill you, and now you think doctors will harm you. What happened to you that made you lose trust in others?”

The man dropped his eyes to the sand and said, softly; “I’ll take it you haven’t seen it yet, which is a good thing for the both of us. My secret is still safe and your dreams won’t be haunted by my awful appearance. I know now you won’t kill me, so I’ll just have to go back in the sea and get eaten…

“Stop talking like that, okay?!” Yuuri exclaimed. If you refuse medical help, that’s fine, but no way I will let you go back out there!” Then he added with a more gentle voice; “For now I’ll just take you to my house, okay? We replace the kelp with bandages and see how it goes.”

The man hesitated for a moment then glanced at the sea one more time before letting out a brief sigh.

“Do you promise me you won’t hand me over to the doctors as science experiment?”

Thinking the man was just having a fever and didn’t know what he was talking about, Yuuri nodded softly and said; “Of course I won’t. Now, let’s get you to my place.”

Yuuri then allowed the man to wrap his arms around him his neck from behind so he could hoist him on his back and carry him home. He turned out to be a bit more heavier than he first expected.

“You really think this will work?” the man asked while biting his teeth in pain.

A soft grunt emitted from Yuuri’s mouth then he said; “If you’ll just spread your legs a bit more and wrap them around my waist, things might get a bit easier.”

The man chuckled for the first time, which kinda surprised Yuuri.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t. I don’t have legs, like you,” the man said into Yuuri’s left ear. “I’m a merman.”

“WHAAT?!”


	2. Treading The Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor can not help but think about his past and misses his family.

_“There’s a mermaid…no, a merman, floating in my parents’ onsen..”_ Yuuri thought to himself, eyeing the aquatic magical being in the water. Yuuri couldn’t help notice how fair and smooth his skin was, and he even had muscles. His face looked soft and delicate as he floated on his back, his ocean blue eyes closed. Everything about him seemed human,  except for the large tail of course.

Cautiously, Yuuri reached out his hand towards the merman’s waist. He was nervous to touch it, but he had to know. He had to know if it was real and not some costume. But could he just do that? What would the merman think? He didn’t really want to make it more difficult than it already was.

As if the merman could read Yuuri’s mind, he said with eyes closed; “Go on, I won’t mind. As long if you don’t pull out any of my scales.”

“W-Why would you think I want to do that?!” Yuuri exclaimed, turning pale of the idea hurting someone deliberately. “I-I’m just curious…like…would it feel like touching a dolphin or…”

“There’s only one way to find out…” the merman said as he opened his eyes to look at Yuuri.

Yuuri looked into the ocean blue eyes for a moment then slowly reached his hand out to the tail. He carefully touched the silver scales with a finger, then slowly let it run up to the part that met the skin of the merman’s waist. It felt just like fish scales, the smooth kind that didn’t prickle up if you touched them. And the skin definitely felt like his how his own skin felt.

The merman let out a soft giggle when Yuuri’s fingers tickled his skin.

“Oh-agh!” Yuuri quickly pulled his hand back and scooted away from the onsen. “I-I’m sorry, I…” Yuuri felt his face heat up.

“Oh, what’s wrong?” the merman frowned, rolling over then resting his arms on the onsen side. “You didn’t hurt me, if that is what you were scared off. We mer-creatures tend to laugh when we get tickled, even when we actually don’t like it. My momma and Papa always tickled me when I was still a little hatchling.”

Yuuri noticed the playful sparkle in the merman’s eyes disappear and realized he must have lost his parents somehow. Or maybe they were still out there somewhere, and he got separated from them. Yuuri didn’t want to ask, but he just needed to know. Maybe he could help him find them back, right?

“Your parents…are they still out there..?”

The merman shook his head sadly then replied; “I lost the both of them when I was 14 years old. A giant water dragon attacked our home and my parents tried to fight back so it couldn’t get me, but…” Tiny droplets of tears started to appear in the ocean blue eyes then rolled down his cheeks and mixed with the onsen water. “The dragon was too strong, despite the effort our pod put into the fight. Once they realized it was a battle they couldn’t win, most of them fled. So many tails…I…I couldn’t see my parents tails among them. I was so scared and tried to swim back to…” The merman hung his head and shoulders sadly. “But then I felt a blow to my head. One of the others must have hit me as they fled. When I woke up everything around me was quiet. Our homes, they were all destructed by the dragon. I saw many b-b…”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you…” Yuuri said, feeling his own tears sting behind his eyes. Not knowing what else to do, he placed a comforting hand onto the merman’s shoulders.

They stayed there for another ten minutes before Yuuri decided to take him to his private bathroom, filled the bath tub and hoisted the merman into the water. He was just about to turn the lights off and leave when he was stopped by the merman’s voice.

“Viktor!”

“What?” Yuuri frowned as he turned around.

“Viktor. That’s my name…” the merman said with a half-smile. “I thought you might like to know my name.”

Yuuri smiled in return and said; “My name is Yuuri Katsuki.” Then he closed the door and went to bed.

Inside the bathroom, Viktor sighed sadly, wondering if the human was really as nice as he let on. And if so, would he like to be friends with a merman? He had been alone for so long after his parents died. Sure, he had made a few friends over the years, but they were more like acquaintances. Besides, they were all mer-creatures like himself.

 _“Humans can’t be trusted, Vitya,”_ his mom always said. His papa was once caught by fisherman, but luckily there was a sword fish who saved him by cutting the net open so he could swim away.

After his parents died, Viktor had to life with his parents grumpy friend, Yakov. Yakov was an mer-orca, meaning, he had the tail of an orca and a vin on his back. The parts above his waist had human features. Yakov still lived together with his ex-wife, Lilia, and most parts of the day they were bickering and driving the other insane. Both of them refused to search for another place to live.

Then, one day, hoping that Yakov would finally leave, Lilia returned home with the most sassiest mer-catfish she could possibly find. His name was Yuri. His grandfather, an old friend of Lilia, asked her to take Yuri in while he was away to find a more cleaner ocean. Instead of driving Yakov insane, Yuri drove Lilia to the edge of insanity.

Years later, Viktor returned home from collecting shells and found the place deserted. He waited for days, hoping they would come back. He even swam out to search for them, but he just couldn’t find them. Then a hermit crab told him the fearsome water dragon had returned, and that everyone had fled the place in time.

A silent tear rolled down the merman’s face when he realized he was all alone, again.

Not wanting to wait for the fearsome creature to show up and attack him, Viktor decided to move away from Russia. The only place he could think of was Hasetsu, a small coastal town he once visited with his parents. Back then he was still a little hatchling, but he just loved the water and the reef. Expecting the waters and the beaches would be still as clean as it was back then, Viktor travelled all the way to Hasetsu. Sadly, upon arriving, Viktor found out things had changed and it wasn’t as clean as he remembered. Teens were partying at the beach and they just left the empty beer cans lying around. They did the same thing with their empty grocery bags.

Too tired to travel further, Viktor decided to search for an underwater cave to rest and wait until his strength returned. As he was searching for a cave to stay, Viktor caught a blue shimmer in the corner of his eyes. When he turned his head, Viktor saw the enormous water dragon heading towards him with speed.

It had followed him all the way from Russia?

Viktor didn’t hesitate and swum out of the way just in time. The only problem was that the creatures sharp scales scratched past his waist, cutting his skin open. Viktor swam away as fast as he could, and he somehow must have made it to the shores, because when he woke up he saw a human.

A human named Yuuri Katsuki.

Viktor didn’t really know whether he could trust Yuuri or not. All he knew was that he was in a strange place. He was in a bathtub that was just big enough for him to fit in. And he missed his parents so much. He even missed Yakov, Lilia, and Yuri.

Viktor slowly slid downwards until his entire body, even his head, was submerged. Then he rolled to his side, curled up and started to cry. He hadn’t cried in years but with all that just had happened to him, he just couldn’t help himself.

The merman cried until his eyes became too heavy and felt himself drift off to sleep.


	3. The Circumstances of My Hot Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor starts to feel at home, a bit too much xD

“Yuuri, sweetie. Can we talk for a minute?” Hiroko, Yuuri’s mom, asked when she saw her son spurt inside through the backdoor and make a straight bee-line to his room. Yuuri froze in his tracks, expecting the worse. Like, his parents found out about Viktor?

The young skater turned around and found his mom holding a piece of paper. By the looks of it seemed like the water and gas status. Yuuri got the eerie feeling it definitely had something to do with Viktor.

“By the looks of the recent statuses, you have been using these past three days more hot water than you usually use in a weeks’ time.”

Yuuri snatched the papers from his mom’s hand then glared at it. She was right.

“Ugh, that little…” Yuuri grinded his teeth then stomped into a straight bee-line towards his room.

“Yuuri! Is everything alright?!” Hiroko asked worriedly when she watched Yuuri leave.

“Yeah, mom! It’s probably a malfunction! It will be fixed…- soon I smacked the culprit’s head with these status papers…”  Yuuri said, only loud enough for himself to hear.

In the bathroom, Viktor pulled the plug of the bathtub out then waited until some of the ‘cold’ water was drained out before putting the plug back in. Then, with glee written on his face, he pressed the red button of the system that was hanging on the wall.

“Adding hot water” an automated voice announced and Viktor watched the bathtub fill up with hot water. Even if he had seen it many times the past three days, he couldn’t get enough of it. Humans had so many funny systems, but he kinda liked this one. Why wouldn’t he? Everyone prefers warm water instead of cold, right?

Viktor smirked satisfied when the water reached the right temperature then laid back and grabbed a magazine. Suddenly, the bathroom door opened with force.

“Viktor! You’ve got to stop adding hot water to the tub!”

Viktor nearly dropped the magazine in shock then gasped; “What? You want me to sit all day in cold water? I might catch a cold, you know.”

Yuuri’s jaws dropped momentarily then retorted back; “Ah, yes, how could I forget? The ocean you came from also had a heating system during the winter.”

“Don’t be silly, my little Katsudon,” Viktor chuckled. “Oceans don’t heat up during the winter, everyone knows that.” Viktor then inhaled a heavy sigh, as if a big burden suddenly pressed onto him. “But getting through the winter was really exhausting. I had to generate heat myself, like this…”

Before Yuuri could stop his aquatic guest, Viktor lifted his huge vin upwards and smashed it from left to right, forcefully. Then he started to pout when he realized he had not only splashed the water from the tub onto the floor, but also onto Yuuri.

“Oh, I am so sorry, my Katsudon.”

“Stop calling me that!” Yuuri growled as he grabbed for a towel and started to dry off his hair and glasses.

Viktor sent a smile to the young skater and said; “I'm living here for three days now. I think it’s about time we give each other a nickname. How about you call me Vitya?” Viktor gave Yuuri a playful wink which brought a pink blush onto Yuuri’s face.

Yuuri quickly turned around to get dry clothes from his room, hoping Viktor hadn’t seen the blush. Viktor merely shrugged then looked around and found his stack of magazines lying on the bathtub edge. They were soaked as well.

The merman cupped the sides of his mouth with his hands and yelled towards the bedroom; “Oh, while you’re there, could you get me some new magazines? Also, I would love to get another coffee, this cup is empty for hours!”

“I seriously start doubting that tail of yours is real,” Yuuri scowled as he entered the bathroom with a fresh stack of magazines then replaced it with the wet ones. "Also, how did you manage to get that heating system working? I deliberately decided to not tell you because I didn't want this to happen."

Yuuri shoved the latest gas and water status sheet underneath Viktor's nose.

"Oh, what's this? More reading material?" Viktor asked with a happy glint in his eyes then eyed the writings up and down. "Yuuri, these are all numbers. You should know I'm not good at math."

Yuuri didn't really know whether he should be angry at Viktor or not. In a way, his innocent and clueless expression was kinda cute. Yuuri just sighed instead then said; "Well, my mom and dad are brilliant at math, meaning, if you keep wasting so much water on a daily basis, you'll be discovered by them quickly. I suppose you don't want that to happen, do you?"

"Well, no..." Viktor replied, looking thoughtfully as he held his finger against his lips. "But...the water started to get cold and I was bored. Then I played with these buttons and suddenly the woman inside this funny thing started to talk to me, telling me she added hot water. I tried to tell her to stop, but she wouldn't listen. But after a while, I didn't really care whether she was an obedient servant or not, as long as she kept warming my bathtub water, I'm a happy merman." 

Yuuri slapped his forehead. "Viktor, she's not a- you know what, never mind. Next time, don't start pushing random buttons. You might break stuff."

"Yeah, at first I was kinda scared it would explode if I touched it, but then I realized that it would be stupid if you had an explosive object in your bathroom, so I just shrugged and pressed."

"Well, hands of next time, okay?" Yuuri said trying to hide the annoyance he felt inside. Viktor nodded obediently. Yuuri sighed then eyed the thermos on the floor. It seemed untouched since he had put it there. As soon he had the object in his hand, Yuuri realized his suspicion had been correct. “Viktor, you know I left this tea for you to drink, right?”

Viktor wrinkled his nose then wailed; “But Yuuri, I don’t like the taste of tea.”

“Well, you can’t drink coffee all day!”

“Why not?” Viktor looked utterly confused.

“Because then you will start bouncing around!” Yuuri replied then saw the smirk on Viktor’s face, who clearly liked the idea of seeing himself bounce around. Yuuri just sighed then stroked his chin. “Well, if you don’t like tea, how about water then?” Viktor looked clearly disgusted. Yuuri rolled his eyes. “Fine! Milk then? Lemonade? Juices?”

Viktor started to chew on the inside of his mouth as if he was trying to picture an image of the drinks Yuuri offered to him. Then, realizing he had no clue at all on how they would look like, he nodded hesitantly. Then, when Yuuri turned around to stock his food supply, Viktor asked; “What do we have for dinner?”

“Pork Cutlet Bowl!” Yuuri replied over his shoulder.

Viktor fist pumped the air cheerfully. It was the second time in three days they ate the same dish, but he didn’t really care. If it was up to him, he ate it every day. It was definitely a lot better than eat clams all the time, which was basically the only dish Yakov could make.

 _“I hope you guys found a nice and beautiful clean place to live,”_ Viktor thought then eyed Yuuri’s shower products and grinned; _”Because I surely did.”_

Yuuri returned with a supply of food and drinks then found the stunning sight of Viktor perched on a step-on stool while having his vin in a plastic dishpan filled with a small body of water.

Viktor, still not aware of Yuuri’s presence, washed his long silver hair with Yuuri’s shampoo while humming a cheerful tune. Then he rolled off the stool and dragged himself towards the shower. Yuuri’s jaw even dropped further down when the shower turned on with one simple flick of Viktor’s wrist.

“Wait! You can use telekinesis?!” Yuuri exclaimed in shock.

“Among other things, yes,” Viktor smirked while rinsing his long hair out. “Cool huh?”

“Yeah…” Yuuri replied, then, realizing Viktor was even wasting more hot water, the young skater corrects himself; “I mean, no! You have a whole bathtub filled with hot water, Viktor! You can’t just get out and use the- wait! How did you even get out?”

“I can be very agile and acrobatic,” Viktor replied with a flirtatious wink. “You wanna see?”

Yuuri’s face turned bright red then didn’t know where to look when Viktor dragged himself back to the bathtub, hoisted himself up and perched down on the side before rolling himself into the water. Then he puffed his chest proudly.

“It was a real struggle, at first, but now it gets easier.”

“Wait, are you telling me you have been doing this for the past three days?” Yuuri asked, wanting to slap his own forehead but couldn’t because he was still holding the tray with food and drinks.

Viktor nodded. “Yeah! I somehow had to wash my hair, right?” Then Viktor eyed the tray and his eyes started to sparkle. “What do you have there, Yuuri?”

“I’d thought you might like some prawns…or would that be like eating a family member?” Yuuri looked thoughtfully. Viktor shook his head rapidly then reached his hands out like an impatient child wanting the candy. Yuuri just chuckled then gave Viktor the prawns.

While Viktor was enjoying his little snack, Yuuri cleaned the mess Viktor had made. After he was finally done, Yuuri sat down on the step-on stool and watched Viktor lick his fingers off.

“Viktor?” Yuuri said softly, barely louder than a whisper.

“Yes, Yuuri?” Viktor looked up, looking a little nervous. Usually, mer-creatures used a softer tone of voice when delivering bad news. The past three days he started to realize humans weren’t that much different from them, especially when it came to showing their emotions.

Yuuri swallowed first then asked, barely louder than a whisper; “Wouldn’t you be more happier in the ocean?”

“You want me to leave?!” Viktor gasped and a saddened look crept onto his face. Yes, he would be more happier in the ocean, but not when that awful creature was swimming around, waiting to kill him. But could he really tell that to Yuuri? What if he didn’t believe him? “I will make it up to you, Yuuri! Whatever I have done to anger you, I will make it up! Please don’t kick me out!”

Noticing the frightened look in the merman’s eyes, Yuuri slowly reached his hand out to touch Viktor’s shoulder then asked softly; “Why don’t you want to go back to the sea? I mean it’s your home, isn’t it?”

Viktor dropped his eyes, wondering whether he should tell Yuuri the trust or not. He decided not to. Not yet.

“Originally I come from Russia, but the ocean got a bit too polluted so I decided to move to Hasetsu. I visited these oceans with my parents when I was still a hatchling. I was kinda hoping it would be still in the same state, but when arriving here I saw it wasn’t. My tail got stuck in a garbage bag, so I’d nearly drowned.”

“Is that how you got wounded and washed onto the beach?” Yuuri asked.

Viktor kept his eyes focused on the water. He didn’t really want to lie to Yuuri. The past three days he had been so nice to him. Yes, the bathtub was a little small, but how far would he get once the dragon knows he’s back?

“Yes…I scraped myself against a rock when I tried to get it off of me,” Viktor lied. His voice even broke due to the guilt he felt for lying to a sweet person like Yuuri. He hoped Yuuri hadn’t noticed it.

But Yuuri had noticed it.

“I really get the feeling you don’t tell me everything, but it’s okay.” Yuuri sent a warm smile. “I’ll suppose you will tell me once you’re ready. If you rather want to stay here, that’s okay, but I want you to know that you can always go back to the ocean. I don’t want you to feel locked up.”

Before Yuuri knew what happened, Viktor’s arms were clutched around him into a tight hug.

“Thank you, Yuuri! I won’t feel locked up, I’ll promise.” Tears of happiness streamed down his face. He was finally not alone anymore. And he would do everything to keep Yuuri happy, so he would want to stay with him too. “Still, if you want me to change something about myself, I will. I can be your brother figure or lover.”

Yuuri started to blush madly then stuttered; “I don’t want you to change for me. All I want is for you to be yourself, Viktor.” Viktor sent the most radiant smile at Yuuri, who in his turn even turned more red. Then he quickly cleared his throat and looked around the bathroom and said, as casually as he could; “Still, we really need to find a solution to the hot water issue. I mean, if we keep using so many hot water, my mom has to save money by being cheaper on other things, like, adding tofu in our Pork Cutlet Bowl or…”

“She can’t do that, can she?!” Viktor gasped then hoisted himself onto the bathtub edge and positioned himself like an obedient soldier, hand against the side of his head and added; “Whatever you want me to do, I will do it, captain!”

Yuuri chuckled and realized Viktor was indeed more acrobatic then you would expect of a merman.


	4. Bath Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri and Viktor have their first little fight, which makes the latter worried he will be send back to the ocean.

It was evening. Mari strolled through the bath-area to collect stray towels or clothing items, but found her brother instead nicking a stack of magazines they had for the guests to read. Mari narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“Yuuri?”

The young skater flinched after hearing his name then turned around and met his sister’s suspicious eyes. He darted his eyes around, nervously, like a caught animal trying to find a way to escape.

“Where do you need all those magazines and comics for?”

“I…uh…” Yuuri scratched the back of his neck, nervously, trying to come up with an excuse. “I…uh…just like to have reading material before I go to sleep.”

Mari eyed her brother up and down. Her suspicion glare grew even more.

“You’re back for more than three days, but you seem even more weirder than when you left to Detroit. Even Minako said you can barely keep your attention during practice and Yuuko hasn’t even seen you on the ice since you got back.”

Yuuri grinned casually; “I’m just…very busy. But, I will visit the rink tomorrow, so you don’t need to worry, okay?”

“Have you fixed your hot water system? Mom and dad mentioned yours was a little defect.”

“Working on it, Mari…” Yuuri chuckled nervously then rushed away, arms filled with magazines.

Mari shook her head in disapproval then yelled after her brother; “Once you did, please take a shower! No offence, but you smell like fish.” Then she turned her head to look at the stack of wet magazines Yuuri had left behind and frowned; “What happened to these?”

* * *

 

“I got you some new magazines!” Yuuri said as he entered his bedroom and kicked the door shut with his foot before heading towards the bathroom. “I seriously need to find something else to keep you entertained, because at this rate, you’ve read the entire supply we keep for the guests.”

“Thank you, My little pork cutlet,” Viktor said, groping impatiently at the magazines in Yuuri’s hands.

“I told you, stop with the nicknames, okay?”

Viktor shook his head and grinned; “I will find the most perfect nickname for you, trust me.”

“Trust you?” Yuuri snorted. “So far you only come up with food names.”

“That’s because you make me hungry every time I see you,” Viktor said then added with a wink; “Because you look just as delicious as a pork cutlet bowl.” Yuuri’s face reddened, instantly. Viktor enjoyed seeing Yuuri’s blush with every flirt he send at him. If only he had legs, then he would follow him around and tell him sweet words, all day. Viktor suddenly remembered he wanted to ask something. “Yuuri, would you like to stay and keep me company, tomorrow?”

Yuuri looked apologetic at the merman then replied; “Sorry, I just promised my sister to visit the ice rink.” Noticing the questioned frown on the merman’s face, Yuuri explained; “It’s like a big frozen lake, but then indoors.”

“Whoa…” Viktor gasped in astonishment.

“We use it for skating practice,” Yuuri smiled. Viktor’s frown returned. “Oh, yeah, which is similar like dancing.” Viktor’s frown grew even more. Yuuri chuckled; “You know what, I will ask someone to record me while I practice. You probably don’t even know what that means, but you’ll find out soon enough. It will be like a present.”

Viktor beamed, excitedly; “Oh, I love presents!” A dreamy look appeared on his face as he mumbled to himself; “Oh, I can’t wait to see his present. I haven’t had one for so long. I love presents, pork cutlet bowls and Yuuri. Not specifically in that order, though…”

Yuuri felt his ears heat up then quickly cleared his throat, nervously, and said; “Anyway, it’s nearly bedtime for me, so if you wouldn’t mind me hoisting you out of the tub and let me have a bath…

“But then I will dry out!” Viktor gasped, looking horrified.

Yuuri chuckled; “Don’t worry, we’ll make some towels wet to cover you with.”

“Ah, yes, the famous wet towel idea…” Viktor said, rolling his eyes a little. “Why do you humans automatically assume we sea mammals are able to survive out of the water with the help of wet towels?”

Yuuri folded his arms then retorted back; “Because it worked last time. You know, during your first night here in Yu-topia, and I had to move you from the Onsen to the bathtub?” Viktor glared in return then adverted his eyes to the wall, like a stubborn toddler. Yuuri sighed. “Come on, Viktor. I really need a bath. According to my sister, I smell like a fish. And we both know why that is.”

Viktor turned his eyes back onto Yuuri so fast, you would think he would be dizzy for a moment, but he didn’t show any signs of it. Instead, he burned his ocean blue eyes into the brown ones, angrily.

“Are you implying I'm smelling like FISH?!” Yuuri didn’t know what to say and dropped his mouth, awkwardly. Viktor buried his head into his hands then said, with muffled voice; “Yuuri, please leave. I like to be left alone now."

Yuuri was even more stunned, if that was even possible and stuttered; “Why do I have to leave? For the record, this is my bathroom.”

“Yeah, well, Ir would leave if I wasn’t a FISH!” Viktor threw another glare at Yuuri. His eyes was swimming with tears, and Yuuri felt immediately guilty for using the word fish. Who knew a merman could be so insecure?

Yuuri hung his head down then said; “Sorry, Viktor. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.” Viktor just stared back at the wall. Yuuri pulled in a sad sigh then turned around and left the bathroom, without a word. He grabbed a few towels and decided to sneak inside the Onsen and have his bath there, hoping he wouldn’t run into his parents or sister.

An hour later, Yuuri returned into his room and decided to take a quick peek into the bathroom. Maybe Viktor was still up and would accept his second apology. Yuuri let out a sad sigh when he saw the opposite. Viktor was almost completely submerged under water, except for his fin, that flopped over the edge of the bathtub. When Yuuri covered it with a soaking towel, he saw Viktor’s eyes were closed.

Since meeting Viktor, Yuuri always wondered whether he would sleep with the head above the water, like humans, or underwater like fish?  Now he knows the answer.

“Good night, Viktor…” Yuuri mumbled then turned back to the door and left. Behind him, Viktor re-surfaced the bath and looked at the door, sadly. Maybe he had been a little too tough on his new friend. Now he thought about it, Yuuri didn’t actually called him a fish. He just simply repeated what his sister said. And he even apologized.

Suddenly, Viktor received a frightened thought. Now they had a fight, would Yuuri kick him back into the ocean? Viktor quivered in fear, thinking about all the pollution and the scary water dragon that had chased him from his birth place. What if Yuuri kicked him out, how would he survive? Would Yuuri be actually still kind enough to borrow him a pile of towels, so he could keep himself wet as he hid behind the rocks, so the scary dragon wouldn’t find him?

An image of himself hiding behind the rocks, all alone, by midnight and eating nothing but kelp and seaweed for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, flashed through the back of Viktor’s mind. He even saw himself caught in an abandoned fishing net, in the water dragon’s plain sight.

“No!” Viktor shook the scary vision from his mind then clenched his fist, confident. “I have to apologize to Yuuri. He apologized to me earlier, and I didn’t listen, so now it’s my job to do the apologizing.”

But how? Viktor stroked his chin, and pondered really hard. Yuuri would be right outside that door, sleeping. Oh, so close yet so far away for a person with no legs. Viktor grunted in frustration then saw the wet towel at the end of his tail. That’s when he got an idea.

Yuuri opened his eyes, groggily. Something had woken him up, but what? That’s when he heard a sound, of a body being dragged down the floor of his bedroom. His eyes widened in fear as he wondered what it could be. Or, who it could be.

‘Hi!” Viktor’s head suddenly popped right into Yuuri’s view. The latter already had trouble seeing without glasses during the day, so his night vision was even worse, but tough his vision was blurry, he knew exactly who it was.

“AAAGH!” Yuuri grabbed at the nightstand to grab his glasses then turned the light on. He was met with one of Viktor’s charming smiles. “Viktor, how…” Yuuri’s eyes scanned down the merman’s body as he lied on the floor resting his arms and chin on Yuuri’s bed, grinning from ear to ear. Most part of Viktor’s tail was wrapped in a wet towel.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you, earlier,” Viktor said, looking at Yuuri with an apologetic look in his blue eyes. “I’m also sorry for not accepting your apology. I really hope you won’t kick me back into the sea. Viktor really loves it here. The ocean is filthy and nothing else to eat than kelp and seaweed. I like Port Cutlet Bowl more. The bathtub is really small tough, maybe something we need to work on, in the future…”

“You know, I was just about to accept your apology, right before you started to complain about the bathtub size…” Yuuri said, cutting Viktor’s words off. He looked at the merman with straight face. Tears popped up behind Viktor’s eyes.

“N-No…I-I didn’t meant to sound so ungrateful, Yuuri” Viktor wailed then tried to climb up into Yuuri’s bed. “Please, don’t send me away!”

Yuuri quickly rolled off the bed next to Viktor, before the latter would hurt himself, and grabbed his arms to calm him down. “Viktor, I was only joking. Of course I will accept your apology. But in the future, please keep in mind that I won’t kick you out for every little fight we have.”

Yuuri’s words didn’t calm Viktor down. On the contrary, he became even more emotional and hugged the skater tightly as he wailed; “That’s such a relief! Thank you so much, my little Pork Cutlet Bowl!”

“V-Viktor…?”

“Ah, Sorry! Now I made you smell like fish again,” Viktor gasped, breaking the hug then removed the wet towel from his tail and rubbed it across Yuuri’s face, and through his hair and down his pyjama.

Yuuri sighed, tiredly. “Viktor? What you are doing right now is very useless. You know that, right?”

Viktor nodded, rapidly then smirked; “Yes! But this is payback for making that joke, earlier.”

“You know, what I said earlier about not kicking you out. I can still make up my mind, you know.”

“No, no!” Viktor gasped, frantically. “Sorry, please accept my apology. If you do, I will even let you take a bath before I go back to sleep.”

“Bribery, huh?” Yuuri sighed.

Viktor smirked; “But to safe warm water, we can also sit in it, together.”

“Yeah, not gonna happen,” Yuuri replied, eyes as wide as he possibly could get them then jumped to his feet and returned the wet towel back to Viktor as he sped towards the bathroom.”

Viktor quickly tried to flop and turn the other way to pursue Yuuri and wailed; “But Yuuri! You said it yourself. Saving hot water is very important!”

“Yeah, I changed my mind,” Yuuri replied then closed the door and locked it.

“Yuuri! Don’t lock me out…” Viktor wailed and pounded on the door, a few minutes after Yuuri refilled the bathtub with fresh hot water and slowly submerged into it. “Yuuri, you know this is not fair! You get to watch me in the bathtub, all the time. When is it my turn to see you taking a bath?!”

Yuuri smiled to himself. Luckily his parents’ and sister’s  room were located far from his, so he didn’t need to worry someone would hear the merman’s complaints. He could ignore him, as long as he liked.


	5. Another Aquatic Visitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One of Viktor's friends decides to drop by with the mission of saving the merman, but then realizes how great it actually is in Yuuri's bathroom.

Yuuri was fixing his hair in front of his bathroom mirror, under the watchful eye of the merman in his bathtub. He promised Mari to visit the ice rink, but he rather stayed with Viktor, to keep a close eye on him and stop him when he tried to break stuff. Not that he did it, purposely, but most things were still new to him and needed thorough examination. But Mari was already a bit suspicious, so it was best to not make her more suspicious.

“You know, you should try out this hairstyle, Yuuri,” Viktor suddenly said. Yuuri snapped from his thoughts and looked at Viktor’s reflection in the mirror. The merman opened a male fashion magazine and showed Yuuri one of the male models who had his hair slid back. A dreamy look crept onto Viktor’s face as he mumbled; “I would love seeing my Yuuri’s hair styled like that. It would look so good on Yuuri, I know it will.”

Yuuri quickly crouched down next to his sports bag, hiding a blush as he pretended to check if he had everything he needed then stuttered; “I don’t think that’s quite the look I would go for…

“Well, you should!” Viktor gasped, cutting Yuuri’s insecure words off then leaned a little over the edge of the bathtub and said, mysteriously; “Did I ever tell you that I always dreamed of having my own hair salon? I mean, I was always fascinated by hair styles, not only my own, but also others. That’s when I told myself I should do something with that talent.”

Yuuri chuckled then said, jokingly; “I don’t think it’s really a talent, Viktor. All mermaids are obsessed about their hair.”

“Ah, yes, the famous image of how humans describe us as creatures who sit on rocks all day, combing their hair. It’s nothing but a bunch of lies, Yuuri, trust me. Our lives are just as busy as that of a human.”

Yuuri sat down onto the bathtub edge then asked, curiously; “Really? Wat kind of things did you do, for example?”

“I could tell you…” Viktor replied, absently, his eyes buried in the magazine, pretending he was reading it. “But don’t you have to be somewhere?”

Yuuri looked at his watch then replied; “I have some time to kill.” The young skater watched the merman flip through the magazine, not making any attempt of telling more about his life. Yuuri couldn’t help but think the merman felt insulted about how humans described him and the other mermaids and mermen. The skater dropped his eyes then said, softly; “I’m sorry if I insulted you when I said all mermaids are obsessed about their hair.”

Viktor looked up from his magazine and said; “It’s fine, Yuuri. It’s not your fault you grew up, believing those stories. I mean, I grew up always believing that all humans are dangerous and selfish. But now I met you, and you are the most sweetest person I ever met. And tough I would love you to stay to keep me company, all day, I also want you to leave so you can get me that present you promised.”

“Ah, yes, I really should be going, huh?”

Viktor nodded, happily then asked, pointing at the bathroom window; “Would you mind leaving it open for me? I love listening to human sounds.”

“Sure.” Yuuri stood up then opened the window, right above the bathtub, like Viktor asked him. “Anything else you need before I leave?”

Viktor nodded then asked; “Can I borrow your comb while you are away?” Yuuri couldn’t help but hide a fit of laughter. Viktor rolled his eyes. “I know what you’re thinking, but it has nothing to do with that obsession thing, trust me. It’s been days since I had the chance to properly comb my hair.”

Yuuri grinned; “It’s okay, Viktor. No reason to get into defence-mode.” The skater opened his sports bag and said, as he looked for his comb; “I don’t know if it’s too much use for you, since your hair is way longer than mine, but you can try.” 

Viktor examined the comb then sighed, sadly; “You’re right. I can’t use this, unless…” Viktor thought for a moment then turned his ocean blue eyes on Yuuri and said, determined; “Tonight, when you come back home, I want you to cut my hair!”

Yuuri’s eyes widened in shock and exclaimed, frantically; “What?! No!”

“No?” Viktor frowned, confused. “Why not?”

Yuuri dropped his eyes to the floor then replied, barely louder than a whisper while his cheeks colored pink; “Because it’s very pretty. I can’t cut your hair because it’s very pretty.”

“You like my hair?” Yuuri nodded, his eyes still focused on the tiles of the bathroom floor. It was very convenient for Viktor, because now his human friend also didn’t notice the blush on his face. Viktor was quite confused with the new feeling. Usually it was Yuuri who blushed, and it always looked very funny to Viktor when it happened. Does this mean that this feeling he now experienced, was something Yuuri felt when he blushed? Did his heart also skip?”

A sudden knock on Yuuri’s bedroom door interrupted the two men then Yuuri’s mom called out for her son, telling him that Minako had arrived for skating practice.

“Thanks, mom!” Yuuri replied, swinging his bag over his shoulder. His face still felt very warm, so to hide his blush from Viktor, he said as he headed for the bathroom door; “I’ll be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, please don’t go looking for a scissor.”

As soon as Yuuri was out of the room, Viktor slid fully underwater, to cool down his heated cheeks.

* * *

 

Viktor opened his eyes, slowly. He realized he must have fallen asleep, but for how long? The merman surfaced the bathtub and looked around. A cool breeze coming in through the open bathroom window, touched his face. Then suddenly he heard a noise, outside. It sounded like a heavy person, dragging himself down the garden.

The merman’s heart skipped a few beats in fear as his eyes locked onto the open bathroom window. Was it the dragon? Did it find him?

 _“Don’t be silly, Viktor,”_ the merman spoke to himself, shaking the idea from his mind. Dragons, specifically water dragons, would not be able to survive outside the water. Not even with wet towels. But then who or what was it?

The ‘dragging’ sound stopped right underneath the bathroom window. Viktor could feel a lump in his throat. What if it was a burglar and he wanted to climb inside through the open window? Why did he even ask Yuuri to keep it open? It would be his fault if someone broke in and stole Yuuri’s stuff.

After feeling a sudden rush of confidence, Viktor took the tray from under his food supply and clutched it with both hands. No way he would let anyone rob a sweet person like Yuuri. He would protect the fort while his little Katsudon was away. Whoever dared to climb in, would experience a lot of pain.

Viktor held his breath when he heard someone grunt, right outside the window. Yes, someone was definitely trying to climb in. Probably a very short person, since Yuuri’s bathroom was located on the main floor. A short, heavy person.

Viktor inhaled a deep breath then let out a short battle cry and moved forward. The merman felt the tray hit its mark, right before something heavy plunged into the bathtub. Taking in another deep breath, Viktor heaved the tray into the air and hit the ‘burglar’ again.

“V-Viktor! Stop it! It’s me!”

Viktor stopped and frowned. That’s when he saw six tentacles and two human arms. The merman dropped the tray and gasped in shock; “Chris! I am so sorry! I thought you were a burglar!”

“Yeah, obviously…” Chris glared at the merman while rubbing the lump on his head then looked around. He saw the stack of magazines on the floor, along with a day’s worth of food supply. His eyes slowly met Viktor’s then asked; “Why does it look like you are here on a vacation?”

Viktor folded his arms then retorted back; “What I like to know is why you’re here? I mean, how did you even know I was here?”

“Sally the seagull saw you wounded on a beach and kidnapped by a human. She followed the two of you then flew all the way back to Russia to warn Yakov. I was there for a small visit and send here by Yakov.”

Viktor rolled his eyes. He should have known he was followed. Sea gulls are always meddlesome creatures. One of the reasons why Viktor hated them. The latter grabbed a magazine and said to his visitor; “Well, you can tell Yakov I’m fine. I really enjoy being here, as you can see. Hot water when I need it. More food than I can eat. And fresh coffee.”

“You do realize what’s happening here, right?” Chris asked with an eye roll. Viktor frowned confused. Chris took in a tired breath. “The human who kidnapped you keeps you in here until your fattened up enough. I mean, look at the size of this thing.”

Chris pointed at the bathtub.

Viktor nodded in agreement then said; “You are right, Chris. This bathtub is not big enough for your arms and legs, so could you please get out?”

“Did you even hear the part where I said the humans are fattening you up in here?” Chris shouted in frustration. “You know, humans? Humans who like to slice you up in the name of science?”

Viktor shook his head, stubbornly and said; “Not my Yuuri.”

“Your, Yuuri?” Chris slapped his forehead with one of his human arms and exclaimed; “You are the ‘pet’ here, Viktor, not the other way around. It’s a good thing I came here, before they even brainwashed you, completely.”

The merman glared at his friend for a moment then looked away, stubbornly. “Just so you know, Yuuri just told me he likes my hair. He told me he will never send me back to the ocean, because he enjoys my company. He even told me he would show me a present of him ‘dancing’ at the ice rink. And before you ask what an ice rink is, it’s a frozen lake but then indoors.”

“A frozen, indoor lake?” Chris looked at Viktor as if he was crazy. “Can’t you see how crazy that sounds, Vitya? There is no such thing as a frozen, indoor lakes! The coffee your drinking seriously messed up your brain, my friend. But do not fear, I will get you out of here.”

Viktor sighed then said; “Look, I’m not saying I will go back to the sea with you, but just out of curiosity, how did you plan on doing that?”

Chris stroked his chin for a moment then eyed the size of his friend and calculated it with the size of the window. He then inhaled a deep breath and replied; “Working on it.”

“Well, in the meantime, you like a magazine?”

“I can’t read, and so can’t you, Viktor.”

“I know, but it has pictures,” Viktor smiled then tossed a skating magazine towards his octopus friend and added, grinning; “If you look at the pictures, really closely, you will find out there is in fact a frozen, indoor lake.”

* * *

 

Yuuri entered his home, tiredly. For hours, Minako made him do the jumps until they were flawless. Yet, they were still not flawless enough and she told him she would pick him up for more practice, the next day. Tough it was a hard day, Yuuri managed to persuade Minako to record him on his phone, while he practiced. When she asked why, he just told her it was for study purposes, and she applauded him for it. According to her, it was a good idea he saw what his flaws where and work on it.

Yuuri kicked his shoes off and walked down the hallway towards his room. He just couldn’t wait to show his aquatic friend the present he promised.

“Viktor, I’m home…” Yuuri called out as soon as he entered his bedroom, dropped the bag into a corner and made way towards the bathroom, speaking excitedly. “On my way home, I bought you a—Yuuri froze in the doorway when he not only met his aquatic friend he grew fond of, but also a stranger, an octopus. Tough, his upper part was human. He had six tentacles and two human arms. Half human, half octopus, was that even possible? The question was least of his worries.

“Welcome back, Yuuri,” Viktor said, sending one of his radiant smiles, not noticing the strange vibe between the other two males. Usually the smile would make Yuuri feel warm, but not this time. Not with the way the stranger kept eyeing him, up and down. The skater couldn’t help but feel cold shivers run down his spine. Viktor reached his hand out to Yuuri, impatiently then asked; “I wanna see my present. Can I?”

Yuuri slowly walked forward, his eyes securely locked on the half human, half octopus, wondering why Viktor didn’t introduce them to one and another. Could he possibly imagine things after the hard labour at the ice rink? Yuuri closed his eyes for a moment then opened them again. The octopus was still there.

“Yuuri! My present…” Viktor wailed, impatiently.

“Y-Yes…” Yuuri stuttered, nervously then placed the new hair brush he bought for Viktor on his way home onto the bathtub ledge and took out his phone. Viktor dried his hands with a towel, like Yuuri taught him. Some human things were not water resistant.

Yuuri opened the video of him practicing then gave it to Viktor to watch. Usually he wouldn’t let anyone watch him skate, because he was probably one of the worst figure skater, but Viktor was an exception. It was not like he was some expert and would see his flaws.

Viktor watched the video, intensely. His eyes grew more wider, each second. He seemed totally mesmerized by Yuuri’s moves. When the video ended, a pout appeared on the merman’s face.

“Aw, there is no more?”

“I’m afraid not,” Yuuri replied, who just didn’t dare to take his eyes of the other aquatic visitor. For some reason, the expression on the latter’s face was closely similar to that of a hungry predator.

After feeling a gentle tug on his arm, Yuuri’s attention snapped back to Viktor who handed him back the phone then said; “That was very beautiful, Yuuri. Can you make more?”

Not liking to be ignored for this long, the visitor suddenly said, slightly annoyed; “Vitya, hasn’t anyone taught you it’s rude to not introduce your friends?”

“Well, to be honest, I assumed you didn’t like to be introduced to a human. I mean, according to you, all they want is slice you up in the name of science.”

The visitor scratched the back of his head, awkwardly then, just as sudden, his confidence returned as he said; “Well, everyone can tell he’s a ‘one-of-a-kind.’ I mean, look at him. He’s one fine specimen.” The half human, half octopus send a flirtatious wink at Yuuri then reached out one of his tentacles and said; “My name is Chris. I feel like we will become good friends. Fun fact, I have six arms and two legs. Most humans don’t know that. And honestly, I’m really good with all six of them.”

Yuuri shook the tentacle reluctantly, but soon after Chris’s last statement, he quickly let go of the slimy thing and took a few steps back. Chris smirked.

“It’s true what he said,” Viktor chimed in. “Chris is running a massage salon. Everyone just loves to get an Octopus Massage.”

“You want one, too?” Chris asked.

Yuuri took another step back and shook his head, vigorously. “No, thanks, I’m good.”

“The offer still stands, so whenever you’re ready, just let me know,” Chris grinned then send another wink.

Without another word, Yuuri left the bathroom, awkwardly.

* * *

 

An hour after dinner, Yuuri snuck into the kitchen to plate up some leftovers for Viktor then decided to take some for the half human, half octopus friend, as well. He rather didn’t, because it might make him stay, but he also didn’t want to look bad.

Yuuri entered the bathroom where he found Viktor re-watching the skating practice and Chris scanning a magazine. The merman looked up when he smells the food then groped with one hand at the tray while using the other one to keep the phone away from the water. Yuuri couldn’t help but chuckle then placed the tray onto the bathtub ledge.

Scanning the food onto the plates for a moment, Viktor pouted sadly; “No pork cutlet bowl?”

“No, sorry. Minako told me I wasn’t allowed to eat it anymore until I win something. She called my mom to make sure she wouldn’t cook it until then.”

Viktor looked bemused then said; “I don’t like this Minako.”

“Sorry…” Yuuri smiled awkwardly. “I will do my best and win.”

Viktor tilted his head, curiously. “Just out of curiosity, when will you get a chance to win something?”

“Well, the next skate season starts in September, and if I get qualified for the Grand Prix, which will be held in December, it will be at the end of the year,” Yuuri explained.

Viktor’s mouth dropped then gasped; “B-but, that means we won’t have any pork cutlet for more than six months! She can’t do that to us, can she?”

“Well, she is my dance instructor, and she even called my coach with the plan and he kinda agreed,” Yuuri replied, scratching his cheek, awkwardly. “But you know, my mom has a big heart, so she will probably still cook it, just not as many times as she did now.”

Viktor sighed; “Oh, well, as long as she cooks it once a week, I won’t mind.”

“Rude,” Chris said, dropping the magazine on the floor then said, with a disapproved look; “You are so picky, Vitya. Yuuri’s mom put all her love into preparing a nice, hot meal, and all you complain about is a ‘six month pork cutlet ban.”

Viktor glared at his octopus friend then snapped; “Once you have eaten it, you will know the burden we are going through right now. And it’s not like I complain, or anything. It’s just really harsh of this Minako to put this silly ban. Yuuri should eat, what he wants, whenever he wants.”

Chris rolled his eyes then took one of the plates. After examining the fork, he decided to use it to shove the food, straight from the plate into his open mouth. Viktor nudged him with his tail.

“Manners, you idiot.”

Yuuri yawned behind his hand then said; “You guys won’t mind I go to bed, right? I have to get up, early, because Minako has planned another day of practice.”

“It’s fine, my Katsudon. Good night.”

“Night,” Chris said with mouthful then filled it even more and said; “This is actually really tasty…”

Viktor sighed, tiredly then asked; “Would you mind eating like a normal sea creature and not like some walrus?” Chris merely smirked and refilled his mouth. Yuuri shook his head then left the bathroom.

The next morning, right after breakfast, Yuuri  found both his aquatic roommates still fast asleep and snoring loudly. Yuuri brushed his teeth, fixed his hair then cleaned his glasses before readying his sports bag. He then left the room for a moment to sneak into the kitchen to get some food and drinks for Viktor and his friend. Yuuri really hoped Chris wouldn’t stay long, because keeping two aquatic roommates a secret would be quite hard. Also, the bathtub wasn’t big enough for the both of them.

When Yuuri returned home after practice, Chris was still there, playing a riddle game with Viktor. Yuuri tried to give subtle hints, like, how many times he now needed to clean the bath to keep the algae away, or how much food he needed to stock. But it sadly didn’t get through to Chris and he was still there after a week.

Yuuri walked into the bathroom, drying his hair after taking a quick dip in the Onsen. Chris was still there, and it was about time to get a little less subtle.

“How long are you planning to stay?” Yuuri suddenly blurted out then almost instantly regretted with how it came out. It didn’t sound as subtle as it did in his head.

“Whaat?!” the half human, half octopus gasped in shock then buried his head into his six tentacles and sobbed; “I just started to feel at home!

Viktor made a small eye roll then mumbled under his breath; “Yeah, we noticed.”

“Why can’t I stay?! I’m fitting in, perfectly!” Chris wailed, his eyes swimming with tears.

Yuuri shuffled in place, nervously then said, softly; “It’s not that I don’t like you or anything, because I do…

“You do?” Chris gasped, emotionally. “I knew it!” Before Yuuri knew what happened, he was pulled into Chris’s tentacles for a wet, tight hug.

Viktor rolled up a magazine and smacked the back of his aquatic friend’s head and growled; “As a friend, you idiot!”

“As a friend…of course…” Chris said with doubt then broke the hug and winked at Yuuri; “I really like you too, Yuuri.” The alluring sparkle in the half human, half octopus’s eyes send cold shivers down the skater’s spine.

“Okay, out!” Viktor scowled then tried to smack the octopus with the magazine again, but failed.

Dodging his merman friend’s attack’s, Chris smirked; “I can’t leave before showing Yuuri how grateful I am for his hospitality. I want to give him a free octopus massage.” Both aquatic creatures were stunned for a moment when they saw Yuuri run out the bathroom door, fast like the wind. Chris then smirked; “Whoa, he’s faster than he looks, am I right?”

“Chris? OUT!”

“Yeah, yeah, I know when it’s my time to leave.  But don’t you think I won’t come back, someday,” Chris smirked as he climbed back into the bathtub and reached his tentacles out towards the open window to climb out. He remained sitting on the windowsill for a moment to shout at Yuuri, who was hiding under his bed; “Take all the time you need, my chocolate eyed friend, and whenever you feel ready for that free massage, you can find me-AAAGH!” Chris plunged forward outside the window, with force then landed into the garden with loud, wet plop sound. “Was that really necessarily, Vitya?!”

Viktor, holding the tray he used to smack Chris through the window, smirked satisfied; “Yes, Chris! It was!”

Chris scowled at the window, one more time then started on his way back home, emitting angry, displeased grunts as he went.

Behind him, Mr. Katsuki scratched the back of his head then looked at the empty beer bottles he was about to put outside.

“Everything alright, dear?” Mrs. Katsuki asked who saw her husband come back inside with a bewildered look on his face.

“I think I just saw a half human, half octopus coming out through Yuuri’s bathroom window.”

Mrs. Katsuki shook her head then smiled; “I think it’s about time you stop drinking so much, dear. You start seeing things.”

“I was just thinking the same thing as well.”


	6. Viktor Makes a New Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mrs. Katsuki gets suspicious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Included Jellyfish_Tacos idea

Viktor dropped one of his latest magazines onto the floor, dully. It’s been days now since Chris had left, and though he would never admit it to anyone, he missed his friend’s company. It was always better than being alone all day. If only Yuuri could stay around and hang out with him. But no, that Minako dance teacher, or what they call her, just has to drain all bit of Yuuri’s time and energy, until he’s too tired to stay up late with him.

The merman dragged in a deep, sad sigh then looked at his tail, wondering if there was truly a way for mermen and mermaids to get legs. He had heard stories it was possible, but nobody knew how to. It would be so cool, though. Then he could accompany Yuuri to that indoor frozen lake place and watch him dance. And then he could come with Yuuri to that contest thing that starts in September. And see him win, and then celebrate it with a big bowl of pork cutlet.

“Aw, that would be so amazing…” Viktor whispered, dreamily, his long silver hair dangling down the edge of the bathtub as he stared at the ceiling. Would Yuuri think so too, or would he find it weird? “Only one way to find out, right?” Viktor mumbled to himself then made a mental note to himself that he would ask Yuuri’s thoughts on the matter.

Viktor looked at the alarm clock that Yuuri had given him. Of course, Viktor had no idea how the thing worked, but when Yuuri asked him if he needed lessons, the merman shook his head, stubbornly and pretended he knew everything about it. Yuuri already explained so many things, like counting and showed how the numbers looked like, or even helped him when he was reading a magazine. Of course Yuuri would never think he was stupid, but for once, it was nice to learn human things by himself. And for some reason, it worked. Not that he knew what time it was, but Yuuri always left, early in the morning, when the short ‘stick thingy’ was on the eight and the longer one on the twelve. In the evening, the small one was on the six and the long one on the twelve, again. Viktor felt really proud of himself for figuring that out by himself. This time, both ‘sticks’ hadn’t past the twelve yet.

The merman sighed, dully then looked around and found his hairbrush. Yuuri bought it for him a few days, earlier, so he wouldn’t have to cut his long hair.

“Yuuri really loves my hair if he gives me a present like this…” Viktor smiled to himself when he grabbed the item and looked at it then eyed the magazines on the floor and decided to do something new with them. Yuuri would love it, Viktor knew he would.

* * *

 

45 minutes later of brushing his long, silver hair, ripping the magazine pages into thin strips and braiding them into his hair like ribbons, Viktor looked at the results in a small hand mirror. He was quite proud of his craftsmanship. Real ribbons would be better, of course, but this works too, right?

Viktor smiled happily then looked at the window. Over the past few days, he managed to open and close it, all by himself. Yuuri even complimented him for it, which gave him that ‘cheek warming’ feeling again. Of course, Viktor always hid them by quickly slipping underwater, but there had been a few times Yuuri had seen glimpses of it, despite his efforts of hiding it. He always denied it when Yuuri mentioned it, and said it was the hot temperature of the water.

Viktor really loves eating his salmon sandwiches by the open window, especially when it was a nice, sunny day. He then shared bread crumbs with the tiny birds in the garden. The merman glanced at the alarm clock, and tough it wasn’t his usual ‘lunchtime’ yet, he decided to eat something, anyway.

Viktor opened the window with his telekinesis power, something Yuuri was still amazed with when he saw him using it, and waited for the birds to arrive and sit down onto the windowsill. It didn’t take long for the first few already arrived. Viktor smiled happily and shared his lunch.

“WOOF.”

Viktor nearly got a heart attack when he heard the new sound, which came so abruptly. The birds on the windowsill also flew away in surprise.

“No, come back…” Viktor pouted, feeling all lonely again. He then sighed and wondered who made that strange noise. It definitely didn’t sound like a human, or it had to be a crazy human. Maybe it was cat? Birds are scared for cats, just like he is. Viktor quivered of the idea. Maybe he should close the window then, because cats can jump. 

Viktor quickly closed the window then ate the rest of his lunch and re-watched Yuuri’s skating practice.

* * *

 

Mrs. Katsuki opened the mail and found the gas and water bill. Again, Yuuri’s seemed to be higher than usual, which made her frown. Her son promised to fix it, but obviously failed. Or could there be another reason why he used so much hot and warm water? The woman thought for a moment then suddenly smiled and sped down the house to find her daughter.

“Mari! I think my little Yuuri finally found his special girl!” the proud mother bursts inside her daughter’s room then showed her the proof, the bills. Mari frowned confused. Mrs. Katsuki remained beaming like the sun as she waved the piece if paper in front of her daughter’s face and cried, gleefully; “I bet he’s using so much water to stay clean and smell nice, to impress the special girl.”

Mari frowned even more then asked; “Wait, didn’t he say his system had some malfunction?”

“That’s because he wants to keep it a secret, in case, you know…?”

“Well, he is acting very strange, recently. Well, since he got back from Detroit, actually. He’s skulking around the Onsen, late at night. He sneaks back into the kitchen for more food. Not to mention, he did come home last week with a hairbrush.”

Mrs. Katsuki stroked her chin then asked, slowly; “You think his special girl ran away from home and he keeps her hidden…

“Mom, no! Yuuri is way too shy to do something like that!” Mari exclaimed, cutting her mom’s suspicious words off, then stroked her chin and added; “Or, at least that is what I think. You know what, he’s not around right now. We gonna check out his room.”

Mari jumped to her feet but was stopped by her mom who shook her head, vigorously then said; “We can’t do that. Yuuri will never ever trust us again.”

“What’s with Yuuri?” Mr. Katsuki poked his head around the door then was quite stunned for a moment when both women jumped up in fright, as if he just busted them with their hands in the cookie-jar.

Mari was the first one who regained her composure and replied; “Yuuri is hiding a girl in his room. The water bill is proof, and so is the food that he keeps nicking from the kitchen. And then, evidence number three, the hairbrush.”

“Nah, Yuuri would never hide a girl in his room. He’s too shy,” Mr. Katsuki laughed. “Trust me, there must be some other logical explanation for our son’s erratic behavour and the stuff you call, evidence.”

“Trust me, it’s always the quiet ones,” Mari said.

Mrs. Katsuki stroked her chin, worriedly. “I guess you could be right, but what else could it be, if it’s not a girl?”

“Hmm…” Mr. Katsuki thought for a moment then suddenly said; “That must be it. Recently, there is a stray dog skulking around. A few guests already complained there must be someone feeding him, because he seems to stick around. I think we just might have found the culprit.”

Mrs. Katsuki nodded, understandably. “That definitely sounds like something Yuuri would do.”

“The food, sure. The extra water, understandable, but what about the hairbrush?” Mari asked, still believing it was a girl, and not a dog.

Mr. Katsuki laughed then said, jokingly; “You know Yuuri, to him a dog’s hairbrush and a girl’s hairbrush are the same thing. I mean, have you forgotten how he used yours when he wanted to brush your uncle and aunts dog?”

“Thanks for reminding me, dad,” Mari scowled then plopped back onto her bed and sighed; “Oh, it would have been so cool to make fun about my love-dazed brother.”

Mrs. Katsuki smiled then said; “This doesn’t mean our Yuuri will never fall in love, dear. Someday, you can make fun of him, though, I would appreciate it if you didn’t. Yuuri is very sensitive, you know that.”

And with that, Mrs. Katsuki walked away.

* * *

 

Viktor still daydreamed about all the things he wanted to do if he got an opportunity to walk like humans. Suddenly he heard someone enter the bedroom. After a quick glance at the clock, Viktor knew it was still too early for Yuuri to be back.

The merman listened carefully at every footstep. Whoever was there, walked down the room towards the bathroom. The young merman looked around, frightened. There was no other option than to make himself invisible, which he did, just in time.

Viktor saw a small, chubby woman enter the bathroom, carrying a large box. She frowned upon seeing the stuff Yuuri had left for him. The food, the magazines, the drinks. The young merman was tempted to slap his forehead for making the mistake for not making those invisible as well.

“Yuuri, what on Earth did you do in here?” the woman mumbled, worried then placed the large box, a tool box, on the floor and walked towards Viktor’s stash next to the bathtub. That’s when she noticed the tub was still filled with water. With a small eye roll, the woman took the plug out.

“No!” Viktor gasped, a little too loud. The woman backed away from the bathtub, fear written in her eyes. She then took a wrench from the tool box and held it out in front of her, as a weapon.

“W-Who’s there…?” she finally dared to ask.

Viktor gulped. What should he do? What could he do? Nothing much, except showing himself. Maybe his bright and charming smile could persuade her to not hurt him. She seemed like a person who could easily be swept off her feet with a smile.

The young merman took in a deep breath to encourage himself then removed his invisibility and beamed a charming smile at the small woman.

“Hi! I’m Yuuri’s friend.” Viktor waved. “I’m a merman and Yuuri allowed me to stay here.”

The woman was clearly stunned for a moment then eyed the young man’s face then slowly allowed her eyes to dart down the merman’s body until she saw his silver tail. Her mouth opened and closed for a second, speechless. Then she finally dropped the wrench and reached for her face, emitting a soft gasp.

“Oh, you poor thing! Look at the size of this bathtub. It’s no place for a merman,” she suddenly cried out and trotted back to the tub, touching Viktor’s cheeks with both hands. “Yuuri will get the worst talk of his life for this, I promise. What is your name, dear?”

This time it was Viktor who was momentarily stunned. He kinda of expected the woman to scream and run in fear, not being warm and friendly. Viktor could easily tell this woman was Yuuri’s mom. Her eyes were the same as his.

“V-Viktor Nikiforov, from Russia,” Viktor finally replied.

“Oh, why are you so far away from home?”

“Well…” Viktor dropped his eyes then said; “I was chased away by a very big and fierce monster then Yuuri found me and told me I could stay here with him. Humans are usually not very friendly, but Yuuri is different. I like it with Yuuri, and I like the warm water, and I like Pork Cutlet, though, Yuuri isn’t allowed to eat it anymore so I can’t eat it either.” Viktor sighed sadly.

The woman stroked her chin then said; “Still, a bathtub is no place for a merman. I know a better place for you. And maybe we should also do something about your hair. I wonder what Yuuri did to it.”

“Oh, this?” Viktor pointed at the hair wrappers made out magazine papers then smiled; “I did that myself, to look pretty for Yuuri. Yuuri said he liked my hair, so I tried to make it more prettier. Shells would do a better job, but this is all I could find.”

Mrs. Katsuki just nodded in understanding then smiled, warmly; “You stay here, I’ll be right back.”

“Sure, but don’t tell anyone else…” Viktor tried to shout as the small woman dashed away, but she happened to be more faster than expected. “Just like Yuuri…” Viktor chuckled to himself.

It didn’t take long before Mrs. Katsuki returned with a wheelchair and showed it to Viktor. Viktor recognized it from his first night in Yu-topia. When Yuuri transported him from the onsen to the bathtub.

“Where are you taking me?” Viktor asked as soon as he managed to get into the wheelchair with Mrs. Katsuki’s assistance. She gave him a few wet towels to hide his tail and keep it wet at the same time then drove him away.

“You’ll see…” she replied mysteriously.

A few minutes later, Viktor found himself in the onsen again and cried, happily; “I know this place. I really like it here.”

“I knew you would,” Mrs. Katsuki smiled warmly. She helped Viktor back into the water then told him he could call for her if he needed something.

Viktor beamed like the sun then stretched out on his back, and floated. This felt so much better than the small bathtub. Still, he would definitely sleep in it at night, because it was closer to Yuuri than the onsen.

* * *

 

Yuuri returned home and immediately ran towards his bathroom. He couldn’t wait to show Viktor his new tricks, recorded by Minako. But then he found and empty bathtub. Yuuri froze and his heart skipped a beat in fright.

“O, hey, sweetie!” Yuuri spun around and found his mom, entering the bedroom with a smile. “You’re probably wondering where the handsome foreigner is, am I right?”

“W-What…?” Yuuri gulped.

Mrs. Katsuki remained smiling and said; “Yes, Viktor Nikiforov. You know, the handsome merman you rescued then decided to keep hidden in a bathtub?” Suddenly Mrs. Katsuki’s smile faded and a disappointed look replaced it. “You know, a bathtub is no place for a merman, Yuuri. And leaving him all alone during the day is so sad.”

“Ehm…where have you taken him?” Yuuri asked, slowly, fearing his mom had taken Viktor back to the ocean.

Mrs. Katsuki’s smile returned and she replied; “I left him in the onsen, and before you say anything, I put an ‘out-of-order’ sign on the door so no one will walk in. And, for now, your dad and sister think he’s a friend from Detroit, visiting you. I love keeping secrets. Makes me feel like a young girl again. Anyway, he also made a new friend with that brown poodle that keeps walking around the place. I’ve decided to let the poor animal in to keep your friend company when you’re not around.”

Without a word, Yuuri dashed away towards the private onsen where he found Viktor, floating happily in the water. Viktor looked up and smiled.

“Hiya, Yuuri! Your mom let me in, she’s so sweet. Oh, and this is Makkachin, he’s a dog. He was so lonely and hungry, so your mom gave him to me as a present. You like him?”

Yuuri sat down next to the onsen then nodded and patted the dog who curled up next to him, excitedly. Then Yuuri noticed something about Viktor’s hair.

“What happened to your hair, Viktor?”

Viktor smiled shyly then replied; “I made my hair more pretty for you, Yuuri. Shells are far better to use, but this is all I had. You like it?” It looked ridicules, but he couldn’t tell that, could he, so Yuuri smiled and nodded instead. Viktor’s cheeks turned pink and he looked away, shyly.

Yuuri felt his face heat as well then adverted his eyes elsewhere and saw Viktor’s hair brush. He took it off the floor then asked, barely louder than a whisper; "Would you like me wash your hair then brush it, afterwards?”

Viktor’s blue eyes nearly swallowed his face then he nodded, vigorously and swam towards Yuuri, taking both his hands into his and cried, gleefully; “I would very much like it, Yuuri.”

The merman hummed a little tune while allowing Yuuri to wash his hair with a nice lotion. Yuuri was so sweet and gentle with rinsing it back out, later, and was equally gently when brushing it. Makkachin lied next to them, chewing on a bun, happily.

**Author's Note:**

> Just let me know what you think so far. comment or kudos if you're curious for the next chapter :D


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